


The Last Day

by polverine



Series: Blackinnon Week 2021 [4]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Character Death, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:48:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29978979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/polverine/pseuds/polverine
Summary: Blackinnon Week 2021 - A Week of LastsThe last day of Marlene Mckinnon's life.
Relationships: Sirius Black/Marlene McKinnon
Series: Blackinnon Week 2021 [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2200128
Kudos: 8





	The Last Day

Sirius wrapped an escaped lock of Marlene’s hair around his finger, and placed a kiss against the top of her head.

“We should get dressed.” Marlene murmured against his chest, tracing soft patterns against his skin.

“But you look best when you’re naked.” Sirius grinned, though he knew that they couldn’t stay in bed for the rest of the day. They were telling Marlene’s parents and siblings about the baby that evening. Tomorrow they would tell everyone else. For the last couple of months this had just been the two of them. It had been nice, but she was starting to show now and they wouldn’t be able hide it much longer. Plus, he really wanted to tell Prongs. He’d wanted to tell him since they’d found out.

“You think I should go out like this?” Marlene asked, and though her face was hidden, he could see her expression of disbelief perfectly. Marlene didn’t wait for an answer, she pulled out of his arms and sat up. “Where did you throw my clothes?”

Sirius shrugged, being deliberately unhelpful. Marlene rolled her eyes and wrapped herself in her dressing gown while she went to choose fresh ones.

“Do you want something to eat?” Marlene asked, finally locating the clothes she’d been wearing earlier and throwing them in the washing basket in the corner.

“We just had lunch.” Sirius laughed, getting up himself and pulling his boxers and jeans back on.

“I think we burnt that off.” Marlene smirked. “Anyway, I’m eating for two, I get hungry.”

“How about you make us a cuppa and I’ll take care of the food, you’ll only poison us.” Sirius said. Marlene was uniquely terrible at cooking. Sirius couldn’t understand it, no matter how hard she tried, everything she made was at best inedible and at worst down right dangerous.

“My hero.” She muttered dryly, but she was smiling all the same, and pecked his cheek on her way out of the bedroom.

Marlene was particularly soft with him for the rest of the afternoon. In years to come, Sirius would be especially grateful for that.

*

“Are you ready?” Marlene asked, shaking her hair out of it’s messy bun.

“I’m just writing this letter, you go on ahead and I’ll meet you at your parents’ house.”

“Who are you writing to? James? We’re seeming him tomorrow—” she ran her fingers through his hair and looked over his shoulder. “Ahh, McGonagall. That was predictable.”

“We’re telling your parents tonight, if mine were alive they’d be pretty far down the list of people to tell…this is as close as I can get.”

Marlene kissed him softly. “Don’t take too long. And don’t forget to tell her that you think she’s a thousand years old.”

“I really hate you sometimes.” He grinned.

“I hate you too. I’ll see you soon.” She said as she left the room. Sirius dipped his quill in his ink pot and paused for a moment.

_Dear Professor McGonagall,_

_I know you said it was okay to write to you for advice, well this isn’t that. Just news, and the bobblehead version of you dramatically under-reacted. Marlene and I are going to have a baby. I’m sure you must be more scared by that prospect than I am…the thought that in just over ten years you’re going to have to teach any child made by us, but don’t worry, she’s going to be extraordinary. Marlene tried some spell from batty old Marcia Glenn (don’t tell her I told you that, she’ll be really embarrassed and I’ll never hear the end of it), and she’s pretty sure that we’re having a girl. We’re going to call her Minerva. You’ve been such an inspiration, you cared about me when I had no one else and I just want thank you for that.  
I bought a ring, and I know she’ll probably think it’s too extravagant, but we all know that neither moderation or subtlety have been my strong suits. I’m going to ask her to marry me tonight…I’ll update you whether she says yes or no. Sorry, this is a rambling mess, but not everything can be a perfectly crafted Transfiguration essay. I just never thought it was possible to feel this way._

_Sirius paused again. He’d never written to McGonagall before and wasn’t sure how to sign off. Then he grinned._

_Your favourite student,  
Sirius_

_*_

“You’re acting odd.” Jeremy said, holding out a glass of wine for Marlene. She held out her hand in polite refusal. Her mother raised her eyebrows.

“Oh my!” Beatrice gasped. Marlene bit her lip, this wasn’t how it was supposed to go, she had wanted to wait until Sirius got here, wanted for them to tell her family together, but her mother had gone and figured it out.

“Bea, darling? What is it?” Gordon asked, hurrying in from the kitchen.

“Mum don’t.” She sighed as Beatrice opened her mouth to spill the secret. “Sirius will be here any minute, can we just wait?”

“Okay, okay.” Beatrice said, raising her hands. Her mother was beaming, however. Marlene supposed that at least she was pleased about the prospect of becoming a grandmother.

The doorbell rang and Beatrice stood as quickly as if the chair had given her a shock. “I’ll get it!” They heard Nicole call as she bounded down the stairs. There was a pause and then a loud crash.

“ _Avada Kedavra_!” A voice screamed. Bright green lighted streamed through the open living room door and the McKinnons heard Nicole’s body hit the floor before they even had time to fully register what had just happened. Beatrice understood first, she let out a scream of grief and rage, darted to the living room door and came face to face with seven masked and hooded Death Eaters. Marlene couldn’t remember drawing her wand, but before she realised it, the remaining four McKinnons were fighting for their lives. The room was thick with dust, smoke, and the bright lights of ricocheting spells. Marlene managed to stun one of the Death Eaters, and her father killed another. But it wasn’t enough; one by one the bodies of her family collapsed around her. Dead.

“ _Expelliarmus!_ ”

Marlene’s wand, flew from her hand and she knew that all was lost. The Death Eater pulled off their mask and Marlene stood face to face with Bellatrix Lestrange, and she dropped her hand protectively to her stomach before she could stop herself. Bellatrix didn’t miss the gesture, and her eyes sparkled with a demented glee.

“Please.” Marlene begged desperately.

“ _Crucio!_ ” Bellatrix screeched. Marlene crumpled, screaming and writhing in agony. “My Aunt and Uncle would want me to squash undesirable offshoots to our family tree.” She laughed. Over and over Bellatrix hit her with the curse. Marlene could barely think; there was nothing but the unbearable agony. But Marlene knew that if Bellatrix carried on much longer she would lose her and Sirius’s daughter.

“Enough.”Marlene opened her eyes, panting and rolled onto her side, she had to get up, she had to find her wand. There was something familiar about the voice who had spoken. The Death Eater had taken hold of Bellatrix’s arm. “Aurors will be here soon.” This Death Eater pulled off his mask and Marlene stared up at Snape. There was a brief, wonderful moment where she thought that she might be saved. That Snape might spare her. And then he looked down at her in disgust, raised his wand, and hissed “ _Avada Kedavra_.”

_*_

Sirius apparated into the wood at the end of the McKinnons’ road. It was the safest place as there were too many Muggles living on their street for him to apparate any closer. He walked a couple a minutes to the edge of the trees and froze. The Dark Mark was sitting high above the McKinnons’ house, bathing everything in a sickly green glow.

 _No_.

Sirius ran. He could see members of the Order, Aurors, Magical Law Enforcement. He pushed past them all. He had to see for himself that Marlene was okay. A pair of arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

“Sirius, don’t go in there.” Remus croaked. He was crying.

“ _Relashio_.” Sirius said, casing the spell over his shoulder. Remus released him and he plunged on forwards. The front door was splintered down the hallway. Marlene’s sister was lying on her back, eyes wide and staring. No wand in sight. She was only fifteen. Sirius felt a tug in his chest. He knew what was coming, he’d known it the moment he saw the mark in the sky. He carried on to the living room. The other four McKinnons were also dead. Marlene was face down in the doorway, long blonde hair fanned out across the floor, her limbs at awkward angles.

“Marley.” He groaned, sinking to his knees and turning her over. He brushed the hair out of her eyes and pulled her body into his arms. “Come on, Marls. I need you to wake up…please don’t do this.” She didn’t even feel cold, no colder than she usually felt anyway, but even as he spoke he knew that it was hopeless. “Marlene.”

He placed his hand on the bump of her stomach for a moment, but he could hardly stand it. Pain fractured along his soul, and he moved his hand back to her face. He could feel the promise of their beautiful future dissolving into bleak and agonising emptiness.

He didn’t know how long he sat there. There were flashes of a camera, Sirius didn’t know if it was the Ministry or the _Prophet_ , and he knew that he should try to stop them, but he couldn’t move. Magical Law Enforcement had begun to remove the bodies of Marlene’s family. And still he sat on the floor, his face buried in Marlene’s soft hair.

“Padfoot.” Remus placed a hand on his shoulder and he shrugged it off, holding Marlene tighter. “Sirius, let me take you home.” Remus said, trying again. Moony didn’t understand. _Marlene was his home._

“Don’t touch me.” Sirius snapped. “I’m not leaving her.”

“Sirius, she’s gone.” Remus’s voice broke on the last word.

He wanted to die.


End file.
